


Like A Moth To A Flame

by ashilrak



Series: Unrelated Hamilton Soulmate AUs [8]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-08-17 08:41:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8137588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashilrak/pseuds/ashilrak
Summary: "Dolley Madison was the woman taking the newborn country called America by storm. She was a goddess brought to life, and Angelica felt her breath leave her chest the first time their eyes met. They gleamed with the sharp intellect that showed she could take over the world any moment she chose, and the only thing stopping her was her own restraint."





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NoGenderOnMars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoGenderOnMars/gifts).



> This is a gift for my most lovely Dolley 177(6) RPer, who asked for Angelica/Dolley

Angelica had no idea what her soulmark was supposed to mean. It was the outline of a rather small hand. It wasn’t meant to look like that. The soulmarks were supposed to be a full handprint the first place your soulmate’s hand would meet your bare skin.

Hers on her wrist - easily covered by sleeves and gloves. 

Her mother had reassured her from a young age that it was fine, and not worth fretting over. Soulmates we’re frequently found, and even if she were to meet her soulmate, she wouldn’t necessarily be able to marry him. She had the responsibility as the oldest daughter of the Schuyler family to marry well, for status and wealth, not for love.

Years were spent focusing on other things in her life, always pushing her odd mark to the back of her mind. Occasionally it would bring itself to the forefront, but Angelica would always blink back the tears hard, and finish whatever she was working on. She had to keep her mind and body busy, for fear of contemplating things she wasn’t meant to and reaching conclusions she would never be able to put on paper for fear of the response.

Eliza became her focus. She was never going to be happy for herself, so she made Eliza’s happiness her own. When Eliza cried, so did Angelica, when Eliza smiled, Angelica was right there with her. They were as close as can be, and while some might find it odd, they basked in each other’s presence. 

Eliza’s soulmark was beautiful. It was a beautiful deep turquoise, that seemed to reflect gold under candlelight. When they were younger, Angelica used to joke that they had the same soulmate, since their marks were the same size. Eliza was never too fond of that idea, so Angelica stopped commenting on it.

Angelica met John Church, a wealthy British merchant, and was married to him. Their soulmarks did not match, but Angelica didn’t expect them to. Church seemed to be happy enough with the situation, and Angelica wasn’t in a place to protest. Eliza was happy for her, and spent an evening sharing her dreams for her own wedding day.

And then Angelica started to hear tales of Eliza’s Alexander. 

Eliza’s Alexander who captured her attention the moment he swaggered into the ballroom, who was as charming as any man could be, and handsome with eyes the color of the see. Eliza’s handsome Alexander who was nothing more than an aide-de-camp to General Washington, from humble beginnings with no name or property to speak of. Eliza’s Alexander who upon meeting her, met her eyes while kissing her bare hand. Eliza’s Alexander who was her soulmark.

Eliza’s Alexander who upon greeting Angelica, kissed her hand the same exact way he had her sister.

Angelica spent a very long time believing that Alexander was her soulmate as well in some odd sort of way. She didn’t know how, wasn’t sure it was possible even, but between Alexander and John Church, her husband was not her preferred option. They spent very little time together in person, but the letters and conversations they did have filled her with a longing she couldn’t describe. Their conversations were interesting, and would occupy her mind for days afterwards. He was always in her thoughts.

She didn’t know it was because he was one of the few people who acknowledged her intelligence in their conversations. He shared opinions and expected well-thought responses, in a way no one had done before. 

It was when she started to frequent the salons that she realized just what it was that she was after. She wanted respect, and she wanted to be treated as an equal. Angelica’s mind was bursting with all sorts of thoughts and ideas, and all she wanted was to be listened to. It wasn’t that much to ask for, but as a woman, it was something she rarely received.

And then she met Dolley Madison. 

Dolley Madison was the woman taking the newborn country called America by storm. She was a goddess brought to life, and Angelica felt her breath leave her chest the first time their eyes met. They gleamed with the sharp intellect that showed she could take over the world any moment she chose, and the only thing stopping her was her own restraint. There was something about Dolley Madison that told Angelica that James Madison was not truly the man in charge, and something about that spoke to Angelica on a level she was afraid to describe.

It was at a ball that they first encountered one another. Dolley was escorting her husband around the room, and dazzling everyone. John and James shared only the swiftest of greetings, and Angelica regretted not attempting to extend their conversation. 

Months later Angelica and Dolley got the chance to speak to one another. James and John were having a meeting of sorts. The wives were left together in the parlour, and the pleasantries and small talk they first exchanged were some of the most unbearable moments in Angelica’s life.

Angelica wanted to light the spark that she knew to be there in Dolley. She usually put forth effort to approach more sensitive topics with a touch of delicacy, but this time she decided to take some inspiration from her dearest Eliza’s Alexander. While Dolley’s lips were curled into a polite smile after complimenting Angelica’s dress, she asked Dolley exactly what her opinions were about the current discussions among the political sphere.

She found herself disappointed when Dolley redirected the conversation artfully and with a grace Angelica could only hope to possess, repeating her husband’s own thoughts before moving on to more appropriate discussions. 

Angelica could understand why Dolley had chosen this strategy - but that didn’t mean she was going to allow her to follow through with it. Angelica ignored Dolley’s question about her son’s education, and rather spoke her own thoughts on every matter that came to mind.

There were no words to express how truly grateful she was to have taken that risk. Dolley could have continued to shut her down, but instead her eyes brightened and she became much more alert. It was exactly what Angelica wanted, and she felt like a cat who had caught the cream.

Their conversation was still going strong when their husbands walked in, and it was with great regret that Angelica allowed John to escort her out.

A week letter she received a letter from one Dolley Madison, and she felt her heart skip a beat in her chest.

The contents were a continuation of their discussion from before, and Angelica found herself retracing every word and every swoop of every letter. Was this what Eliza felt like when she had clutched her Alexander’s letters close to her bosom? 

It must have been, there was no other explanation.

Dolley lit a sort of light within Angelica that she never wanted to burn out.

They met again in-person later that summer, and it was one of the few times Angelica allowed herself to leave her wrists bare, and wear shorter gloves. Her mark might be visible, but if Dolley were to question it, it would be with genuine curiosity rather than discuss - of that she was sure.

The two women sat together on a bench, each holding their own parasol. They were in a park, and kept their voices lower than they might were they in a parlour. It was simply not polite to discuss such heavy topics in the daylight, but it was what interested the both of them.

At one point, the conversation had turned toward the subject of soulmates, and questioning the morals behind the decision to ignore such connections in favor of a marriage securing wealth and political ties among the more prestigious families.

James Madison was not Dolley’s soulmate.

Angelica found herself more surprised than she wanted to be - perhaps it was because the belief that the wedded couple were soulmates was the only thing fully preventing Angelica’s feelings from fully taking hold - but yet it made sense. James Madison was far from deserving of Dolley.

No one was deserving of Dolley. Angelica hoped that she might one day be. 

Rather than verbally responding to Dolley’s admission, Angelica simply placed her wrist in Dolley’s view - baring her abnormal outline.

Angelica let out an audible gasp when Dolley placed her hand on her wrist, and it matched perfectly.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been struggling to write as often recently, and it was truly a relief how pleasant this was to write. Let me know what you think!
> 
> Please feel free to pester me at my tumblr: ashilrak
> 
> <3 <3 <3 <3 <3


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